How to Write 没 (méi/mò) — Meaning “Not / Have not”

Imagine a person drowning in water (氵) and thinking 'I have no air left!' – the word 'no' matches the meaning of 没. The right side 殳 looks like a hand holding a stick, as if someone is trying to push the person under water, reinforcing the idea of 'sinking and disappearing'.

The stroke order is: left radical 氵 first (dot, dot, lift), then the right side 殳 (left-falling stroke, horizontal-bending-hook, horizontal-left-falling stroke, right-falling stroke). A common mistake is writing the right side as 几 (like 'table') instead of 殳; the top of 殳 is a short curving stroke, not a straight horizontal. Also keep the left side narrow and the right side wider, with the final 捺 extending out to the right.

The key is the right side: 没 has 殳 (a hand with a stick), while 㳄 has 欠 (a person yawning) and 氿 has 九 (the number nine). In meaning, 没 means 'not have' or 'submerge', 㳄 (xián) means 'saliva' (very rare), and 氿 (guǐ) means 'a spring of water' (also rare). Visually, remember that 没 is the only one with 殳, and it is the most common character you will use.

没 is most often used in 没有 (méi yǒu) to mean 'don't have' or 'there is not', and in 没事 (méi shì) to say 'it's okay' or 'no problem'. It is also used in 淹没 (yān mò, to submerge), which is more literary. A cultural note: 没事 is a very common polite response when someone apologizes, similar to 'no worries', and is used daily in casual and formal settings alike.

Common words containing 没 include: 没有 (méi yǒu) — Don't have / There is not; 没事 (méi shì) — It's okay / Nothing's wrong; 淹没 (yān mò) — to submerge; to drown out; to inundate.